Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-15
TRAFALGAR SQUARE.
HORRIBLE CONDITION OF THE POOR
PEOPLE OF LONDON.

A Story CT Frightful Poverty-An Ameri-
can Lady's Experience-A Starving
Family-The Camping Ground of an
Army of Paupers.
The horrible condition of Trafalgar square
at night grows worse. Despite the rain and
cold shivering wretches continue to cover the
stones of the square every night, and the
place has recently become the resort for Curl
Gus gay young bucks After dining out In
the Strand, they pass by there to throw down
a few coppers and to heighten, perhaps, the
appreciation of their own blessings by
glimpse Of the c1trcme,o misery. Travellers
also, especially Americans, who fill the huge
hotels about the square, visit the place regu-
larry as one of the sights Of London. Many
story will soon be told in America of the
frightful poverty of London, and the listen
ers viii have the satisfaction OF knowing
that the facts cannot possibly be exaggerated.
l talked with an American lady who went
there at night with some friends and was
frightened into Mysteries within few
moments. She is a charitable young mar
RED woman, who, by the way, was recently
a visitor at the W hite House. IL moment
of sympathy she handed a coin to a poor
man In a second, she said, the entire pave
nlent seemed to rise up and come rushing at
her. She had not noticed that the whole sur
face OF the square was covered with stretched
out men and women, many of them almost
hall naked, Of whom a half hundred had
crushed and struggled round her in the hope
of charity. Fortunately the policemen, who
are regularly on duty there, came running
up, and no serious result followed the impru-
dence of displaying money in such company.
A STARVING FAMILY.
George Matthew'S the son of James Mat
thews, of The Buffalo Express, went with his
bride TO see if it was as bad as had been de-
scribcd. The first group be came upon on
the outskirts of the camp was a woman lying
asleep on the bare stones with young baby
Ill ner arms, while man walked I'D and
down beside her muttering and cursing to
himself. These were respectable looking
people, Matthews says, though half clothed
and probably starving. He gave the man
some silver, and waking the woman and TAX
ing the child in his arms, the man said:
Thank you; you are extremely kind" told
his wife TO thank the lady, and started. act
ually running, to a stand near, where hot
coffee, bread, butter, ETC., could be bought
for few pence Matthews did not care to
have his wife sec anything more and stopped
his investigations.
For several days past a large number Of
the poor people have continued throuchou,
the day IN the square, afterhaving spent the
night there. Hundreds of them are to be
seen there now all dag long. What they eat
and how they live is mystery. Policemen
arc regularly detailed to patrol what has
become the recognized camping ground of
poverty. The inhabitants OF the camp are
made to keep close to the high stone wall
bounding the Pail Mall side Of the square
From Pail Mall hundreds of spectators look
down all day long at the curious sights
women stretched at full length sleeping in
their rags, and men quarreiing over the to-
bacco or coppers occasionally thrown down
Last night there was unusual jollification and
fe2sting in the camp. lien drove up with
wagon full of bread. The way in which it
was seized and devoured showed plainly how
great is the misery there.-London Cor. New
FORK Sun.